Noumea. Flying Qantas and Aircalin in J.

[SYD]

Hi All - our little family of 3 arrived Monday and we’re at the Le Meridien Noumea Resort & Spa.

We started at Le Meridien for 2 nights. My original plan was to just stay there the whole time. But ended up with 4n at the DT. I think 3/3 or 4/2 probably would have been better (mainly for better food options being on the mainland).

Walking around the outside of Le Meridien I noticed the building is riddled with concrete cancer! Although inside all looks fine, some serious refurb must be coming.

 

[SYD]

Meanwhile, for the avoidance of doubt for the non-English speakers, they had English and French on the baggage claim.
That accent makes all the difference!

 

[dairyfloss]

We started at Le Meridien for 2 nights. My original plan was to just stay there the whole time. But ended up with 4n at the DT. I think 3/3 or 4/2 probably would have been better (mainly for better food options being on the mainland).

Walking around the outside of Le Meridien I noticed the building is riddled with concrete cancer! Although inside all looks fine, some serious refurb must be coming.

So long as it can stay standing until Saturday, I’m fine! Not sure I’d return here without that refurb anyway

 

[Stewey]

Hi All - our little family of 3 arrived Monday and we’re at the Le Meridien Noumea Resort & Spa.

Getting here was really easy from end to end. Took a chance on arriving just 2 hours prior to SYD for the QF91 departure, and even that still felt too early. No one at QF check in. No one at immigration. No one at security. From walking into the terminal to the F lounge was maybe 5-10 mins, including a QF seating change that needed a phone call to ground ops to sort out. Pleasant and short 2hr 10m flight up to NOU, and then the same speed at this end with no one waiting at immigration or customs. Our 2 checked bags were #1 & #3 on the belt Private transfer was waiting at the door with my name on a sign.

A few ups and downs so far at the hotel. It’s nice, but not the same standard as ‘5 star’ options in Fiji, for example. They attempted to upgrade for me (Bonvoy Plat) the suite type I booked, but the upgrade didn’t have the features we needed (seperate bedroom, in particular), so we had to keep what was booked. A mid level floor with no view was allocated. Service is a little more absent or passive than I’d like, even with my wife able to speak enough French to get by.

Food is pretty reasonable by island standards; on par, if not a little better than Fiji (Suva) higher end options. Thanks to recommendations we’ve had great pastries and fresh bread from Au pain d’antan and coffee from Malongo cafe. The restaurant by the pool here - Le Fare - has quite good food, and an amazing outlook for lunch (below).

View attachment 300191

Weather has been great so far, and the pool here very nice. Lounges by the sea are many and easily available (visible to the right in the below shot, which is taken from the end of the hotel wing I’m in… about where I’d like to have had my room!).

View attachment 300193

Got out about town to look for beer options and a few supplies; first by taxi to Auchan Supermarket on day 1, and then a walk to the local one yesterday, Oceania, which is around the way from the Hilton mall past the Rip Curl shop and pharmac_. For beer drinkers, there’s very little difference between the big and small places, so just go for whatever’s closest. They all seem to stock the same 10-15 or so beers, and I think all are brewed locally, even the Heineken & Kronenbourg. I don’t mind the local ‘Number One’ draft for a clean lager with a meal, and the Havannah Blanc, IPA & Red Ale are the others that I’ll stick to.

Might update with some other things later on, but so far enjoying it here, for the most part!

Cheers,
Matt.

Great location and I quite like the "Number One" beer as well, I had a few just to see if they were deemed suitable for consumption

 

[SYD]

Great location and I quite like the "Number One" beer as well, I had a few just to see if they were deemed suitable for consumption

They‘re not bad. I thought the Havanah was better.

 

[Stewey]

They‘re not bad. I thought the Havanah was better.

I never tried the Havanah to be honest but I will when we are back there in March 2023

 

[Lynda2475]

For those that hired cars do you need an international license or is an aussie one ok?

@dairyfloss who did you organise private transfer with? Was that just to/from airport or were they also available for island trips?

Trying to workout whether its better value to hire a car or just organise transfer, walk and take occasional taxi if needed (although we speak zero french).

 

[esseeeayeenn]

For those that hired cars do you need an international license or is an aussie one ok?

@dairyfloss who did you organise provate transfer with? Was that just to/from airport or were they also availabel for island trips?

Trying to workout whether its better value to hire a car or just organise transfer, walk and take occasional txi if needed (although we speak zero french).

I would hire a car. You don't need an international licence.
Although the two tourist beaches, La Baie des Citrons and L 'Anse Vata, are adjacent, the rest of Noumeá is fairly spread out.
The spectactular north (Hienghène, Poindimié) is a bit far, but it is worth driving to the national park of La Riviere Bleu, to see the cagou (flightless birds), Lake Yaté and nearby Magdelen Falls. Also worth driving to recreational spots on the Dumbea River.
However don't stop anywhere near Mont Dore. There have been robberies and other unpleasant occurrences on the roads there.
ALso do NOT try to do a round trip to Yaté and back around the south of the island. The south-west arc of that road is suitable only for mining vehicles.
You will have no trouble speaking English in La Baie des Citrons and L'Anse Vata.
In fact I have trouble making them speak French, when they hear my accent, which they think is Canadian (!).

 

[dairyfloss]

For those that hired cars do you need an international license or is an aussie one ok?

@dairyfloss who did you organise private transfer with? Was that just to/from airport or were they also available for island trips?

Trying to workout whether its better value to hire a car or just organise transfer, walk and take occasional taxi if needed (although we speak zero french).

Hi - We had the hotel (Le Meridien Noumea) organise airport transfers for us... but that was in part as we didn't have plans to go exploring the island beyond the local area. We used taxis for the local area. It helped that my wife speaks conversational French as English was a bit hit and miss outside of the resort(s). We ended up with a regular taxi guy and just called him directly on his mobile after the first couple of trips.

I'd have been comfortable hiring a car and driving about, if we were looking to go further afield, but where sticking to the local area, we might just go for a one-way transfer (private or shuttle) on arrival... and then just get a taxi back to the airport on departure. Our return transfer was really late, adding undue stress at the end of the trip, while taxis seemed quite available.

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

A word (well, three words) of warning for those planning to hire a car.

Driving around the city will be fine, provided you can adapt to keep right, not left.
HOWEVER ...
When it comes to driving on highways, including the highway to the airport, beware.
All the local drivers are ABSOLUTELY NUTS.
Most of them are obsessed with overtaking, and will take ridiculous risks to do so.
Even in circumstances we would consider unsafe.
They will play chicken with oncoming traffic.
So if they start to overtake, be prepared to slow down or even brake to allow them to safely get in front of you.
You might also want to avoid very small, low-powered vehicles for this reason.
Be prepared to go up to a bigger, more powerful car or preferably an SUV.

ALSO ...
Do not drive outside built up areas at night. EVER.
The locals will drive around without headlights.
Even on roads with no lighting.
So it is extremely dangerous.

FINALLY ...
Do not stop for people waving from the roadside or pick up hitchhikers,
Especially in the north (or, as previously mentioned, near Mont Dore).
Many locals still hate the French colonisers and (if you are white) may not ask to see your passport before they take their anger out on you.
There has been a resurgence of independent emotions following the third and most controversial referendum voted to stay in France.

I must admit I did pick up a hitchhiker once, on the return drive from Hienghène to Nouméa.
He was a local and, while we chatted away in French, I made sure he knew I was Australian.
Nevertheless when we approached the point where he wanted me to drop him off, I did become nervous that he was planning something
Thankfully, nothing eventuated.
However, when I recounted this story to the French expat friends I was staying with in Nouméa, they were horrified.
They sad I had been foolhardy and was lucky to be alive.
They would not have even considered stopping for a hitchhiker.

Unsurprisingly, New Caledonia has a very high road death toll for a country of its size and population.

BUT please don't let this advice put you off. It is a beautiful archipelago.
The most beautiful parts are not on Grand Terre (the big island).
The true tropical paradise can be found on the smaller islands.
L'Île de Pins is the most tourist-oriented and acccessible, a very short (<30 mins) flight from Nouméa.
Ouvéa is more isolated and less developed but stunningly beautiful.
Lifou is larger and more populous, with some amazing beaches and coral suitable for snorkelling from the shore.
Maré is also beautiful but less populous with almost no French colonial presence.
I would not recommend visiting Maré unless someone in your group speaks fluent French.
No one there speaks English.

As you probably know all commercial flights to the smaller islands leave from the domestic airport, Magenta, which is in the eastern suburbs of Nouméa itself. Not from the internaitonal airport. SO a visit to Nouméa itself is a must, even if your ultimate destination is one or more of the smaller islands.

 

[Lynda2475]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I cancelled 4-night hotel booking at Double Tree on Ilot Maitre today, because we didnt have an over water bungalow (which would have been unique) and thought being bound by hourly (sometimes less often) boat transfer would make evening dining on the main island inconvenient.

We did consider maybe doing 1 night there, but it would have only worked on the final night and might be a bit stressful on departure day, having to get early boat transfer, then a ride to the aiport.

So instead have booked 2 nights at Hilton (Im gold so get free breaky) and 2 nights at Chateau Royal Beach Resort & Spa; this close to Easter there were no twin rooms left at Le Meridien and it didn't seem fair for one of us to have sleep on sofa bed, while other got a king.

No time to fly to other islands this trip do plan to tackle L'Île de Pins or other island on a future trip if I enjoy this first taster visit. We will organise a day boat trip to an island for snorkelling.

We also booked a car, since both hotels have free parking and it will give us the most flexibility to explore (thanks for tips above on where not to venture). I don't drive (i will be navigator), and my friend hasn't driven a manual in over 20 years, so limited choice of Automatics, selected a Citroen couldn't really justify the cost of an SUV for a little day time exploring or restaurant trips.

Funny we looked at booking directly with all the car places that have cars at the airport and it was actually considerably cheaper to book the vehicle through Qantas.

Will report back in about 8 weeks.

This thread has been very helpful.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

No time to fly to other islands this trip do plan to tackle L'Île de Pins or other island on a future trip if I enjoy this first taster visit. We will organise a day boat trip to an island for snorkelling.

L'Îlot Canard / L'Île aux Canards (the two alternative French place names translate as "Duck Island" or "Island of Ducks" and are pronounced exactly the same, "leel-oh-can-are") is in the middle of the bay of Anse Vata and you can get there easily by shuttle boat from either two jetties in Anse Vata not far west (right as you face the sea) from the Hilton (the closest at 300m is opposite the very leafy EU complex) or directly from the jetty in front of the Chateau Royal.
The trip is only 5-10 minutes each way so perfect for a day trip or even a half day. You don't need to book the boat, you can just rock up and catch the next one. You do need to nominate a return time but no one checks that and there is absolutely no need to return at the time you nominate.
There is no accomodation on the island, and no one lives there. There is just a bar/restaurant which also hires beach and snorkelling equipment (warning - it's not cheap).
There is a very pretty reef right off the beach which is well worth a visit (or two or three), with lots of pretty coral and fish, octopus if you look hard enough, and turtles regularly passing through. One end of the island is a breeding reserve for puffins (which, in a case of mistaken identity, gave the tiny island its name).
Every time I visit Nouméa I make sure I spend at least one day on L'Îlot Canard alternating between snorkelling and lying on the beach sipping champagne. I recommend going in the morning before the wind and the crowds, and hiring one of the little clusters of deck chairs rather than chairs on the open beach.
The same shuttle boats also service L'Îlot Maître which is often open for day trips, so that is another option, which I have not yet explored.
You can also take a longer day cruise to a small atol with a lighthouse on it but that is a whole day trip, more expensive, and very much a tourist enterprise, with a seafood buffet onboard, very popular with Japanese and Chinese tourists. It's not to my taste (I prefer independence, I hate being in a group with other tourists, and I don't eat seafood) but each to their own.
There is a booking agency for these tourist day trips about 400 metres east from the HIlton (on your left as you face the sea), on the waterfront of Anse Vata, on the corner of Promendae Roger Laroque and Rue Gabriel Laroque, almost opposite the jetty which hosts Le Roof restaurant at the Chateau Royal end of the main strip.

Have a wonderful time!

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Oh as for restaurants I can recommend either Restaurant La Marmite et Tire-Bouchon (in Le Baie de l'Orphelinat) or Le Miretti-Gascon on Rue Gabriel Laroque, just off the main strip in Anse Vata. Both offer authentic French cuisine.
If you eat at an Asian restaurant always remember that most French people hate spicy food and restaurants cater accordingly.
So if you don't want your dish to be very bland ask for it to be extra spicy or "piquant".
I wouldn't recommend the Thai restaurant underneath the Hilton complex but the Vietnamese restaurant "Hanoi Plage" opposite the beach to the east is quite good.

 

[Lynda2475]

Thanks for the recommendations, French cuisine appeals, i can have plenty of good Asian food in Australia or when in Asia.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Finally sunset coughtails at the Chateau Royal are a must.
Not sure if the upstairs bar is still open or if it was only a temporary closure.
If you have any specific questions about New Caledonia please don't hesitate to ask.
I've been there a dozen times, explored every island, and some extended stays with French friends.
So I know it fairly well.

 

[Flyinfish]

Following this thread with interest as I'm visiting New Caledonia myself in May. I had considered a trip to one of the little islands near Noumea, but as I have 4 days in Noumea and 3 days on the Isle of Pines, I think that might be overdoing the island stuff? There looks to be plenty to do in Noumea anyway so maybe some guided walks, bus trips (Dumbrea?), and many visits to patisseries, supermarkets and snack bars/restaurants!

 

[The-Aviator]

BTW, I found that I couldn't open the QF booking using the QF PNR or Tix# on the SB website until two days out from check-in opening. Before OLCI opens, you can get the SB PNR by entering the Tix#. It then shows an error that you flight is not ready for OLCI but then provides future dates that you can then try again if you date is listed. It then takes you to a "My Booking" page with SB PNR displayed and access to API, FF and Seat selection.

I've just booked a trip for late April and seems this trick to get the SB PNR is no longer working, at least for me. Anyone found any other ways to get the PNR recently?

I'm booked in J for the flight home and the QF seat map is only showing seats in the middle section, would love to grab a window seat as surely some are still available!

 

[SYD]

I've just booked a trip for late April and seems this trick to get the SB PNR is no longer working, at least for me. Anyone found any other ways to get the PNR recently?

I'm booked in J for the flight home and the QF seat map is only showing seats in the middle section, would love to grab a window seat as surely some are still available!

Have you tried CheckMyTrip using QF PNR?

Or left field, try BA.com. This one probably won’t work but I did discover a recent hack to get an AA PNR on a QF reward booking via BA. Worth a try (it will ask for some contact details, but that shouldn’t impact the booking).

 

[The-Aviator]

Have you tried CheckMyTrip using QF PNR?

Or left field, try BA.com. This one probably won’t work but I did discover a recent hack to get an AA PNR on a QF reward booking via BA. Worth a try (it will ask for some contact details, but that shouldn’t impact the booking).

Thanks, was worth a try but unfortunately no luck! Tried basically every oneworld member, could only ever see the same QF PNR and ticket number. Might give it another go closer to the date.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Thanks, was worth a try but unfortunately no luck! Tried basically every oneworld member, could only ever see the same QF PNR and ticket number. Might give it another go closer to the date.

Tried calling them?
I have previously asked QF for the SB PNR, and they have provided it.

I've just booked a trip for late April and seems this trick to get the SB PNR is no longer working, at least for me. Anyone found any other ways to get the PNR recently?

I'm booked in J for the flight home and the QF seat map is only showing seats in the middle section, would love to grab a window seat as surely some are still available!

Depends on the nature of the code share arrangement.
Some simply allow the marketing airline to sell a certain number of seats. Some are more complex.
On QF flights between SYD and SCL for example, LATAM buys blocks of seats from QF and pax booking the LA flight number will only be seated in those blocks. Conversely, pax booking the QF flight number will not be seated in those blocks, even if this prevents an upgrade, for example.
However when the flight closes it becomes a free for all, which means LATAM can sell upgrades into QF's seats on checkin at SCL airport. Meaning QF staff often manage to get a spare business seat SYD-SCL (because QF do not sell upgrades at checkin) but almost never SCL-SYD because any spare J seats are sold by LATAM at checkin. (Thankfully LATAM doesn't sell upgrades to premium economy, usually sparing them the indignity of a seat in whY.)
Returning to the topic, if the block of middle seats is allocated to QF, then you may not be able to be allocated a seat outside that block, such as a window seat. But this might change once checkin opens or, later, when the flight closes.